


Jack and Catra

by Dr_Equinox



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24854776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Equinox/pseuds/Dr_Equinox
Summary: In the Fright Zone, being nice is a weakness. Being considerate and thoughtful were traits that would get you killed, or worse. So when there's a new force captain on the block, with an unusually positive personality, it causes a small shift in the balance that keeps the Horde running. This new captain, simply named Jack, can't help but try and look on the bright side, helping his friends and fellow soldiers happy and motivated.Unfortunately for Catra, she seems to be the pick of the crop when it comes to his attention.Fortunately for them both, she secretly likes his happy personality.
Relationships: Catra/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Jack and Catra

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, first work on here. Let me know what ya think, if there's any issues, and how well you think I got the characters.
> 
> Also the pairing happens eventually, not immediately.

The Fright zone. Not a place many would want to be in, regardless of commitment or oath. It’s skies were filled with smog, its streets cluttered with spare parts for its vast machinery production. A depressing atmosphere hung over the heads of its citizens. It’s people had little time and patience for what was not necessary, discarding frivolous social cues and conduct in place for a strict set of rules that must be followed without question. Many of its attributes could be traced back to its founder, Hordak. A strict, no-nonsense man with no appreciation for defiance of his rules. Overall, a very sad place to be in indeed.

Features like that made it very confusing to find one particular force captain up early in the morning. This man, who goes simply by ‘Jack’, was currently taking his daily jog around the various skyscrapers that littered the fright zone, eventually coming back inside to roam the hallways. As he passed by armored soldier after soldier he would cast them a smile, sometimes offering a wave as well. While the helmets covered the faces of all who wore them a few would give a hesitant wave back. His cheery attitude was quite uncommon amongst the Horde, a name given to the faction that called the fright zone their home. After all, with such a dower and crushing atmosphere it proved difficult to look on the bright side of things. Jack, being the anomaly he is, had no such problem and would frequently be found engaging in pleasant dialogue with his fellow soldiers, winning the respect and admiration of many.

There was one creature that lived in the fright zone that had the opposite view of Jack. She would often roll her eyes as he chattered away at whomever was ‘lucky’ enough to be near him. His unusually positive attitude and respectful demeanor had not won her over… easily, at least. She couldn’t deny that his pleasant personality had wormed its way into her head, and she certainly would take a walk-n-talk with him over any other force captain anyday. To her though, enjoying his presence was a limited exposure type of situation. She could deal with being around him for a bit, even going as far as to like hanging around with him at times, but too long and he would grate on her nerves. It was especially bad when she was having a bad day, like today. So, when she heard his recognizable voice coming from behind her, she knew it was bound to get worse.

“Hey, Catra! Haven’t seen you in a while, how's it been?”

Most who knew her wouldn’t dare to be so openly flaggerent towards her, above all when she was clearly having a bad day. Jack, being a bit oblivious to her annoyance, opted to do so anyway. While she would normally have a snarky or rude remark to say to anyone who deemed it important enough to annoy her on a day like this, with Jack she could only sigh.

“I’m busy Jack, what do you want?”

She was most certainly not busy, but if it was enough of a reason to get him off her back for the day then she would use it.

“Oh, nothing really. Just wanted to check up on ya, haven't talked in days.” He spoke to her with a smile, sliding up next to her as she stomped down the hallway.

“Well I’m fine. Now buzz off.” She said, lazily waving a hand in his direction.

“Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you don’t sound ‘fine’. In fact, I’d go to say you’re-” He tried to say, leaning closer towards her as he spoke, only to get cut off.

“I said, I’m _fine_. Now go annoy someone else, I’ve got stuff to do.” She repeated, emphasizing just how fine she was.

“Stuff? Rather unspecific, isn’t it? What’s got you so busy today Catra?” Asked Jack, this time talking in a softer tone as though he sensed her increasing anger.

Catra, taking a moment to think of any work she had to do, was saved by a figure approaching the pair as they travelled. Any appreciation of the distraction however was quickly pushed away by both anger and fear towards what, or rather who, caused it. The arrival of this person, Catra noticed, had Jack straighten up his posture and put his hands behind his back. She briefly thought about how _she_ tended to have that effect on people.

“Force Captain Jack. Lord Hordak requires your presence in his sanctum immediately.” Spoke Shadow Weaver, the powerful sorceress of the horde and the bane of Catras life. Her eyes drifted between the two of them, settling on a glare at Catra, which she gladly returned. Their brief clash was disturbed by Jack taking a small step forward, slightly hiding Catra’s body from view.

“I shall be there at once, Shadow Weaver.” Jack responded, his subtle but clear movements attempting to dissuade any conflict from arising. While his attempt had been rather obvious to the three of them, it served a purpose all the same. The tall and imposing figure of Shadow Weaver was a sight many had come to fear, but not Jack. His equally tall physique, coupled with a body seasoned to many conflicts, meant that he could be an opposing force to whatever terror she wished to reign. Something plenty of horde members noticed about the force captain was his fondness for his peers and underlings, and in a more specific sense, a fondness for Catra. It created situations like this, a silent standoff between himself and the resident sorceress over the treatment of those around them.

“Be sure that you do. Lord Hordak is not a patient man.” Speaking to break the brief silence between them, she cast one last glare towards Catra and moved on, passing them. It was only after she had rounded the corner did either of them speak.

“You don’t have to do that you know.” Said Catra, who had decided that getting into an argument with her terrorizer today would have made her mood a thousand times worse. Jack's face had reverted back to a small smile after Shadow Weaver had disappeared, which only grew at Catra’s comment.

“Do what?” He asked, tilting his head slightly and giving her a knowing smirk.

“That!” Said Catra, waving her hands to the direction Shadow Weaver had left “I don’t need you to stand up for me, I can do that _myself_.” She finished, crossing her arms and giving him a glare. Contrary to her effort his grin only grew.

“I’m not sure what you mean Catra. I was only responding to a command given to me by my superior. I see nothing wrong with that.” He responded, chuckling at the face she gave him. It was meant to be serious, but all he could see was a cute pouty cat. He would never tell her this, in fear of said cat's claws coming out, but he would gladly think every time she gave him that look.

“Whatever.” Was Catra’s simple reply, accompanied with a roll of her eyes. This earned her another chuckle, something she had to fight not to smile at, and a shake of the head.

“Well, I’d best be going then. Shadow’s not wrong, Hordak can be a _very_ impatient man.” As he spoke he turned to leave, only to stop as a hand grabbed his arm. Looking at the source of the offending appendage he found Catra trying to look anywhere he wasn't.

“Hey,” She said softly, enough to where only the two could hear her. “Thanks. Talking with Shadow Weaver was only going to make this day worse. Just, don’t tell anybody I said that, ok?”

“Your secrets are safe with me Catra.” Jack answered, giving her another soft smile as he gently removed her arm. He continued in his previous direction, calling over his shoulder “Have a nice day!”

Catra, her mood greatly increased, shook her head and went back to trudging through the desolate hallways of the fright zone. This time, with a lighter step, improved attitude, and a ghost of a smile on her face.

As he approached the dreaded chambers where the lord he served resided, Jack’s thoughts drifted back to the confrontation in the hallway moments ago. He wasn’t sure why there was such animosity between the two women, besides what little he knew of their shared past, but he was sure to help either one avoid it whenever he could. Fighting like that, having that constant maliciousness between them, only served to drive a wedge between them and cause problems for everyone else. It was practically a useless endeavor to get them to stop, but he tried anyway, if not just for moments like just then. They were both having a bad day and, thanks to him, avoided a yelling match in the middle of a public hallway.

 _I can only imagine what things are like when I’m not here._ He thought to himself, entering his lords sanctum, noticing that said lord was in his personal workshop.

Clearing his throat to make himself known, he watched as a small Imp-like creature flew around the room, staring at him with its intense yellow eyes. He wasn’t sure just what the thing was, but he knew it was used by Hordak to spy on others he considered not entirely trustworthy. Unfortunately, that consisted of most of his upper command, including Jack as well. He had caught the thing shuffling around in the vents many, many times but could do nothing in the end other than make it known that he knew he was being spied on. It changed nothing about their relationship or the way they conversed to one another, simply being a small topic that neither mentioned.

Hordak, supreme ruler of the Horde and subsequently the fight zone, was also an engineering genius. Case in point, he was currently viewing familiar schematics for a weapon Jack had pitched to the clone. From how deep his frown was, Jack did not have high hopes that his suggestion was going to be put to use today. It wasn’t a complete surprise, considering much of what he brought up around the man was either immediately struck down or put into a to-do folder that never saw the light of day unless he was truly out of work. Taking the slight head turn of his boss, getting gazed at by a blood red eye, and the gruff ‘hmph’ as a sign to come in, Jack diligently walked forward. He held his head high, his body straight, and his face stiff. Nothing less would be tolerated, of course.

“I have arrived as per your instruction, Lord Hordak. What do you require of me?” Jack was careful in his wording, as he could tell that Hordak was currently busy with a project. When he was, it tended to be best to get in and out quickly, lest his patience wear thin. Hordak, without even glancing back, said:

“I have rejected your latest suggestion, Force Captain. While it has its advantages, it is too resource intensive to be standardized.”

“But, sir, would it not be a useful asset on the field? The tests have shown-”

“It’s advantages do not outweigh the cost. That is the _end_ of the discussion.”

_Well at least he considered it._

A sentence Jack was getting used to, unfortunately. Also unfortunate, was that he had to agree. The design he was aiming for was for a more long ranged weapon, but it's intricate design was indeed costly. Making something that efficiently worked at long range and was also sufficiently powerful to be useful was a dangerous couple when it came to costs. Apparently. He wasn’t entirely sure how the system worked himself, but it was something he had to begrudgingly accept.

“Very well sir. Is there anything else you needed from me?”

“Yes. Your squadron has been assigned to the invasion of Thaymor.”

“Sir?”

“You have proven to be an effective Force Captain, given your success in the invasion of Elberon, so I've decided to give you another mission. Your team has been assigned, meet with the sergeant to receive your orders.”

While Jack may have had more questions concerning just why he had been assigned to this mission in particular, seeing as he had reason to avoid it, Hordaks tone had left no room for discussion. Rather than risk angering him, Jack decided that he’d best prepare. So, with determination in his step, he set off towards the sergeants office.

 _Why am I being assigned this mission now? The invasion is in, like, a week!_ He thought, eyes narrowing in confusion. _I hadn’t even done that well in Elberon, only knocking a few heads around and gut punching a teenager who had glitter in her hair._ He chuckled at the thought of that fight. She had literally come out of nowhere and tried to blast him with lights, or something? His response, of course, was to react with his instincts. Aka, gut punch her. She had escaped before he could subdue her unfortunately. He had found her again afterwards, but by then the rebels were already retreating from the lost town.

 _Pretty sure that's supposed to be a princess too. She seemed young, fourteen or something. Who’s out here sending these children to fight in a war?!_ _This world is insane._

Opening the door of the sanctum to leave, he was surprised by the presence of one Shadow Weaver appearing on the opposite side. He raised a brow at her being there but nonetheless continued on. She had done the same, sparing him a brief but contemplative glance and moving past him.

His mind was reeling over the sudden reassignment, wondering what circumstances called for adding another squadron to an invasion party a week before it happened. The plan had been in place for a while, Jack hearing about it fairly early in its conception. Once the Force Captain had been assigned that was usually it, forcing those chosen to really step up their A-game. The Horde wouldn’t accept anything except a domination of the enemy as a victory.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he walked. He could tell that this was only the beginning of a very long week.

Jack was really wishing his prediction hadn’t come true. He really, really did. Alas, it had proven true every single day. His orders were to act mainly as a support unit, helping to beef up the invading forces numbers. Despite the fact that Horde plans rarely changed from their inception, it seemed there was some insight into how fortified this fortress in Thaymor really was. The change worried him slightly, as adding more troops to an already fairly large invasion party spelled out a more fierce resistance than anticipated. He wasn’t against going into hard situations, far from it, but there was a difference between a hard fight and a slaughter. Then again, it was the rebellion. The only real scare factor was the princess’s. While rebellion forces themselves tended to be paltry, when combined with a princess their effectiveness shot up significantly. Not to mention the magical power that came with princess involvement. Magic was… messy.

He fought to not sigh again. It was only a day or so until invasion time began. He found he couldn’t sleep, too caught up in thinking about plans, leaving him to wander the halls past curfew. No one would really care if a Force Captain was up of course, that only being a problem with cadets and regulars. He hoped he didn’t meet any up, as his mood degraded by how sleepy he was and he couldn't guarantee a nice reception. Still, he found himself being quiet as he went from place to place. Eventually he found himself near one of the many vehicle bays that covered the Fright Zone. Taking a bored look around he noticed something strange. A skiff was missing.

 _Who would be out and about right now?_ He thought, his eyebrows shooting up as he saw what was probably the answer approaching in the distance. As the rogue skiff slowed down he stayed rooted to his position.

_Oh I am not in the mood for this right now. Whoever this is is going to get an earful about maintaining the curfew._

Once the skiff came close and entered the bay he could make out the details of the perpetrators. Another sigh threatened to escape him as he recognised their signature color schemes. Out of all the people to cause him trouble after curfew, only a day away from an invasion, it would be them. He could never stay mad for long, as they had grown on him right off the bat, but he was still disappointed. He could see them talking to each other casually, glancing around what they hoped to be an empty bay, only for their eyes to settle on him. He did his best to put on a fatherly frown as he approached them, hands behind his back. They stayed quiet, looking nervous as he grew near.

“Cadets, while I can appreciate a late walk, this is ridiculous. You _know_ it’s well past curfew.” He admonished, nearly shaking his head. He didn’t want to lay it on too thick, lest they think him actually mad. Of no surprise to him, the first one to speak was Adora, someone else he hadn’t talked to in a while.

“Force Captain Jack, I accept full responsibility for this. I dragged Catra along because... I didn’t want to go alone?” She said, the last part coming out as more of a question than an answer. Jack kept his frown, his eyes locking into hers.

“Oh? And just where did you decide to ‘drag’ Catra along to?” He questioned, glancing towards Catra. She seemed just as nervous, looking at the ground and crossing her arms. He was confused. He had put up a disappointed parent act, but the way they were reacting worried him. Just _what_ had they done?

“Uh…”

“ _Adora_.”

“The Whispering woods, sir.”

This time he didn’t fight his sigh, going so far as to pinch the bridge of his nose. Of course they had to go somewhere dangerous. Why not? Once he finished with his all-too-true-now dramatic act, he took a deep breath and reigned in his frustration.

“You know, out of _every_ place you could have gone, that is the _one_ place I really wished you didn’t.”

“Hey, it’s not like we got hurt or anything. We brought the skiff back without a scratch and no ones even awake right now. What's the big deal?” Catra, having had enough of his act, decided to speak out against him, stepping forward and gesturing to herself, Adora, and the skiff.

“Catra!” Adora exclaimed, shocked by her friends blatant disrespect towards a force captain.

“It’s alright Adora, she does have a point, however small it may be. You two do seem unharmed and while there are _definitely_ scratches on that skiff it's nothing to worry about. Just… just be more careful from now on alright? No more whispering woods, it's a death trap waiting to happen.”

“Yes sir. No more woods for this cadet.” Said Adora, giving me a salute with a relieved smile.

“Catra?”

“Fine, I’m sorry! We won’t go to the whispering woods anymore.” Catra, while apologizing, was less enthusiastic. He couldn’t really blame them, they were young adults. He was only a few years older himself, and often he would do things that went against the codes. As they walked past him he stopped them.

“Oh, and girls?” He asked, causing them to turn slightly. “Be thankful that it was I who found you. I don’t need to explain that if this were any other Captain it would have turned out differently. Good night.”

As they nodded solemnly he nodded back, eventually turning away and continuing on his late march through the place. He envied them, their companionship, their free spirit. He considered them close enough to be friends and hoped they felt the same. He had watched them regularly depend on each other, but their dependence on each other was a worrying trait for those in the Horde. He worried what would happen if one of them were to die on a mission or be promoted and moved to a far away base. Any separation would do no good to their relationship. Mostly though, he worried about Catra.

Catra was an enigma to him. She seemed so stand-offish, a brick wall that would glare at you while you talked to it, but that was the exterior. Every once in a while her true side would shine through, with her being protective, brave, and loyal. In Between these though seemed to be a general air of fear. Fear of being rejected. It was easy to call out as it was inherent in how she acted. She only acted the way she truly felt with those that earned her trust. She was still careful in her wording though, careful about how much emotion she allowed to show. She was afraid of being rejected for who she was so she put up a false face and acted as if she didn’t care. It made him empathise with her and cause him to be strangely protective of her. He could see where she’d go if her disguise cracked and it wasn’t anywhere good.

During his inner thinking he made his way back around to his quarters. He was exhausted and believed he could finally fall asleep. As he became more and more tired his mind went blank and, upon spying his bed, he smiled. Falling upon the stiff bed he quickly fell asleep, dreaming of cats.


End file.
